Monday, November 10, 2008

Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and, although this is a writing blog, I wanted to pay tribute. After all, I have the freedom to write thanks to the sacrifice of others.

I’m an army brat. My dad was in the Canadian Air Force and we moved across Canada from base to base. I understand military life – not having a parent around because they are overseas, on courses, or peacekeeping missions – and you’re not sure if they will make it back.

We had to rely on letters or postcards, and if we were lucky, the occasional phone call -no such thing as video chats, emails and IM to keep in contact. Even though military families today are more “connected”, I can guarantee that scared, hollow feeling with each deployment is still the same. I wish no one had to experience it.

If you have a moment, here’s a great song/video we watch on Remembrance Day. The musician, Terry Kelly, was in a drug store one November 11th and was upset as a father with a young child ignored an announcement over the store’s PA system to observe two minutes of silence. He later recorded this song, A Pittance of Time: